​Seiko PACERS HOTTEST TIPS #SCKLM 2016

My First Gig

This will be only my 11th Marathon, ever since, I was hit hard by the ‘running bug’ back in 2011. However, it will be my FIRST official pacing assignment, and it’s a responsibility which I have accepted with total commitment and fervour.

Am I Nervous?

Frankly, there are a few butterflies in my stomach because hanging above my head is the fear of letting down any runners who will happen to rely on me to take them to the finish line like clockwork. No matter, these feelings are normal, and on the bright side, they keep me grounded and serve as a constant reminder for me not to leave anything to chance when it comes to My Pacing Duties. I’m up for it…

Don’t Stop Drinking

The Pacers Coach, Mark Williams insists that of all the Standard Chartered Marathons worldwide, the KL Marathon is the second hardest next to hilly Nairobi because runners have to battle against our energy-sapping heat and humidity. Therefore, of all the hundreds of race tips, Mark told me, “Make sure that the Pacers stop fleetingly at each water station to drink 1-2 cups of water without fail or face the prospects of taking a taxi to the Finish Line.”

From L: Suhairi & Rozmi are your 3:30 pacers

===Seiko PACERS HOT TIPS===

Pacer 3:30 | Capt. Rozmi Yunus (rtd)

“The average pace is 4:57/km. This year will be my 4th time as a SCKLM pacer after 2011, 2012 & 2014. My advice, set your target finishing time & you should’ve trained for it; having ran your LSD up to 32 km 3 months prior to race day. On race day, keep calm & follow  pacer. In my experience, many runners will not run at the designated pace. Normally,
they will go fast & they will feel the adverse effect will come after 30 km mark. In marathon it’s about pace, pace & pace…so trust your pacer, they are experienced runners.”

Pacer 4:00 | Ewegene Tan aka Road Runner

“Know your targeted time and position yourself well at the starting so that you will not start or be forced to start at a higher pace and hit the wall sooner during the race. Hydrate well by drinking consistently throughout the race even before the sun rises. This is to ensure that you don’t suffer from dehydration in the later part of the race. Foremost, enjoy the experience and the race itself and go at your own pace. Remember that pain is only temporary and it will make the victory even sweeter. So just go out there and do your best whilst cherishing the moments that will last a lifetime.”

Pacers Kit Handover and Press Conference

Pacer 4:00 | Richard Tang

“In general, pacers are very experience and able to complete a marathon at least 30 min faster than their stipulated target time.”

“Before the race, runners need to hydrate well and have good rest. During the race, runners should start the race slowly for the first few KM and eventually stay besides or behind his/her pacer. Let the pacer work on the pace and runners just need to focus on stride, breathing, gait and nutrition intake. It’s always easier to run by following a pacer.”

“As a 4:00 pacer, this is my strategy :-
10km (1st Stage) – 5:50 pace / 10km (2nd Stage) – 5:40 pace / 10km (3rd Stage)– 5:40 pace / 12km (4th Stage) – 5:30 pace”

“We’ll have 2-3 minutes as buffer.”

Pacer 4:30 | June Yap

‘We will be doing an average pace of 6:24 for 4:30hr. My advice to runners is to pace well throughout the race and don’t get carried away by others to start off fast at the beginning. At any point of time when you feel like giving up, think about the hours of training that you have put in and shouldn’t you be giving all that you got?”

Pacer 5:00 | Dennis Wee

“My Pace will be 7:04 per km. My advise is to Run hard, Run easy, Run fast, Run slow… you run for your own reasons, you run at your own pace. You run for yourself, with yourself. But if you ever need help from start to finish, Who you gonna call? Seiko Pace Busters!

Pacer 5:00 | Seah

“I am pacer for 5 hour with pace 7 min/km
My advice to SCKLM runners is:
– Before race, rest, eat and sleep well.
– During race, keep your normal pace.  If you really cannot run, walk a while, but DO NOT stop and sit down.
– Remember to enjoy the KL scenery, while you run.”

Pacer 5:00 | Malcalm Chew Wai Hoe

“Rest more before the race, and keep hydrated and nutrition in mind during the run.”

From L: Irwan & Omran are 6:30 & 5:30 pacers respectively

Pacers 5:30 | Kelvin Ng Ch, Azhar Omran, Ahmad Hadafi Bin Jus and Yum Kin Kok

This group’s balloon is Orange Colour. This group is suited for those who are doing their FIRST Marathon.

“However, the person who’s attempting this pace should has :
1) Been running regularly and has completed at least three to five Half Marathons.
2) Been able to complete a half marathon in 2:30 or less.
3) Done a long run of 30km at least once prior to the marathon. For those who haven’t done it, the Newton 30km on 23rd July is very suitable for SCKLM 2016.

The targets for each 10km of the marathon are as follows :- 10km in 1:18, 20km in 2:36, 30km in 3:54, 40km in 5:12, and 42km in 5:30

Please note that we will stop at every drink station , we might run slightly under this pace to cater for stoppage time. However, we do target to complete the marathon in 5:30 GUN TIME.

Note that we are running in smaller steps up hill so naturally we will slow down. The hills are we are going to encounter are:-
1) From Beach Club to The Weld on Jalan P Ramlee at km 4.
2) Jelatek Ramp entrance to Akleh at km 9.
3) Ulu Klang Ramp entrance to Duke Highway. This is the halfway point at KM21.
4) Jalan Kuching Ramp to Segambut Roundabout at km 33.
5) Jalan Langgak Tunku after Tijani Condo climbing to Jalan Tun Ismail at KM 34.
6) At KM 37.5, you will pass the Bank Negara and can almost feel the finishing point at Dataran Merdeka. You are NOT DONE yet, turn right into Jalan Parliament for your last 4.7km
7) After you pass the Parliament Building, that’s a gradual climb along the newly constructed Mahameru Highway tunnel all the way to the National Museum.
8) This is the start of the Heritage Route. Please enjoy this part of the route for you have earned it. You will pass the latest and most luxurious hotel in KL, the St Regis followed by the grand hotel, The Majestic which was first built by the Sarkies brothers who also built The Raffles in Singapore, The E&O in Penang and The Peninsula in Hong Kong. On your right , you will see the icon of Kuala Lumpur which is the old Railway Station and the old railway office built in Moorish style followed by The National Mosque.
9) The last 200m, we will pass the Bukit Aman Tunnel, Make some noise, it has the best echo effect of all tunnels in KL.

Tips to prepare for the day.
1) Get sufficient sleep throughout the whole week leading to the marathon. You will be too excited to get a good night sleep on Saturday night.
2) Try to start carbo loading on Thursday. Simple carbohydrates such as Rice, Pasta, Bread etc. Avoid red meat on Saturday. It will take more energy to digest these food and it will sap the energy you need for the run.
3) Plan your nutrition and hydration properly for the marathon. You need a belt to carry these nutrition and some small change.If you feel hungry during the run, it is normal. If you feel bloated, then you are in trouble.
4) If you need to pee, check the colour. if it’s too dark, please drink more water. The urge to pee also means that you are properly hydrated.
5) Come for the 5km Friendship Run on Saturday to shake out those legs and sign up for the Pasta Party to meet new friends from all over the world. KEEP CALM AND RUN.”

Pacer 7:00 | Barkley Wong

“Before event day, keep hydrated, normal meals (preferably not spicy). On event day, keep hydrated, go at your own comfortable pace, replenish with gel/fruit. After event day, keep hydrated, recover, and rest.”

I sincerely hope that you will complete your FM mission, and be the best that you can be with or without the Pacers. Most of all Run Happy, Run Safe…

About The Author

Gus is the Founder of Running Toons and a HIIT Fitness Coach. As a freelance writer, he has contributed numerous insightful articles to The Star newspaper, Running Malaysia magazine, Cycling Malaysia magazine, Cycling Evolution magazine, Swim Bike Run magazine and more. LIKE Happy Runner, and

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